Federal prosecutors have charged two Cleveland Guardians pitchers with allegedly manipulating their pitches in a sports betting scheme that “betrayed America’s pastime,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said Sunday.
Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz, 27, and Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera, 26, allegedly worked with co-conspirators to place bets on their performance and raise approximately $450,000 over two years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Prosecutors on Sunday released a previously sealed complaint against the two men, accusing them of defrauding sports betting platforms.
“Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports,” Nocella said. “When corruption infiltrates sport, it embarrasses not only the participants but damages the public’s trust in an institution that is vital and dear to us all.”
Both men are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sports competitions by bribery and money laundering conspiracy.
According to the open complaint, the alleged scheme began with Clase and two unidentified “bettors” in May 2023.
The platform that was being used to place the bets allowed bets on the performance of specific players, according to the complaint. Clase allegedly agreed to throw balls instead of strikes and slower sliders instead of cutting fastballs on many occasions, according to the complaint.
Class allegedly agreed to make specific pitches so that the person who placed the bet “would benefit from illegal bets placed based on that inside information.”
Bettors won about $27,000 in bets placed on Class fields on a May 19, 2023, game between the Guardians and the New York Mets, according to the complaint. He went on to claim that they won another $38,000 weeks later in a game against the Boston Red Sox.
In the game against the Red Sox, the anonymous accomplice placed bets that Clase would throw a ball and that it would be slower than 94.95 mph.
Screenshots included in the complaint show one instance in which Clase threw less than 94.95 mph and “on the ground well before home plate.”
Clase allegedly used his cell phone during games, a violation of MLB rules, to coordinate with bettors. He also coordinated with them to send money to the Dominican Republic, instructing them to make it appear that he was “someone else,” according to the complaint.
This continued between them until approximately June 2025, when the complaint says Ortiz was included in the alleged scheme.
“Ortiz agreed to throw balls (instead of strikes) on certain pitches in exchange for bribes or kickbacks,” the complaint says.
In a June 15 game against the Seattle Mariners, Ortiz reportedly agreed to throw a ball instead of a strike in exchange for $5,000. The complaint said bets placed on the course generated a payout of approximately $26,000.
Days after the game, Clase allegedly sent a photograph of a receipt for a bank transfer of approximately 90,000 pesos to an associate in the Dominican Republic. Clase ordered Ortiz to tell the associate that the money was payment for a horse, according to the complaint.
Bettors won at least $60,000 in bets based on Ortiz’s pitches in the month of June, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said Ortiz was arrested in Boston on Sunday and will appear in federal court on Monday. The MLB Players Association, the players’ union, declined to comment to NBC News.
Class is not currently in custody, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Ortiz’s attorney denied the charges against his client in a statement to NBC News and said Ortiz’s money transfers in the Dominican Republic were for “lawful activities.” Chris Georgalis said Ortiz “has never influenced, and would never unduly influence, a game, for anyone or anything.”
“There is no credible evidence that Luis did anything more than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning,” Georgalis said. “Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court.”
The Guardians said in a statement to NBC News that they were aware of the investigation.
“We will continue to fully cooperate with both authorities and Major League Baseball as they continue their investigations,” the team said.
MLB said it contacted federal authorities “at the beginning of its investigation and cooperated fully throughout the process.” The league is conducting an investigation, he added.
This marks the second major sports betting case to emerge from Nocella’s office in the last month. In October, his office dropped allegations accusing current and former NBA players of providing non-public information to bettors.
Those charged in that alleged scheme included Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones.
Rozier’s attorney denied allegations that the player faked an injury in a game in which he allegedly tipped off his childhood friend, who allegedly made a bet with that information.
Jones is accused of using his relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers to share information about player injuries before the team made it public, giving his alleged accomplices an advantage when placing bets.
He pleaded not guilty in federal court in Brooklyn, but his attorney, Kenneth Montgomery, told a judge that the parties “may be engaging in plea negotiations.”
